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History

Homosexual activity in Nevada

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Homosexual activity in Nevada is legal.

Current status
Since Jun 16, 1993
Legal
Nevada repealed its laws against sodomy in 1993. The bill that repealed the sodomy ban was Senate Bill 466.
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Same-sex marriage in Nevada

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Same-sex marriage in Nevada is legal.

Current status
Since Oct 9, 2014
Legal
In 2014, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down Nevada's same-sex marriage ban, declaring it unconstitutional. The ruling took effect 2 days later, after a federal judge issued an injunction.

In 2020, Nevada became the first state to repeal its defunct constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.
Oct 1, 2009–Oct 8, 2014
Civil unions (limited rights)
In 2009, Nevada began offering domestic partnerships, which granted same-sex couples certain rights available to married couples, including hospital visitation, inheritance rights, and employment benefits.
May 28, 1975–Sep 30, 2009
Banned
In 1975, NRS § 122.020 was amended to define marriage as between one man and one woman.

In 2002, Nevada voters approved a constitutional amendment that defined marriage as between one man and one woman.
Until May 27, 1975
Unrecognized
Before 1975, Nevada neither recognized nor banned same-sex marriage or civil unions.
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Censorship of LGBT issues in Nevada

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Censorship of LGBT issues in Nevada is no censorship.

Current status
No censorship
No pro-censorship laws ever passed in Nevada.
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Right to change legal gender in Nevada

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Right to change legal gender in Nevada is legal, no restrictions.

Current status
Since Feb 10, 2017
Legal, no restrictions
In 2017 it became legal to change gender, with or without surgery.
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Dec 3, 1984–Feb 10, 2017
Legal, but requires surgery
Legal gender recognition was formally established in Nevada through an amendment to the Nevada Administrative Code (NAC). Specifically, NAC 440.130 mandated a strictly judicial and medicalized process for amending birth certificates. The regulation explicitly stated: "The State Registrar may prepare a new certificate of birth for a person having a sexual transformation only upon order of a court of competent jurisdiction." The court order was required to specify the exact facts to be changed on the new certificate. This framework forced transgender individuals to undergo gender-affirming surgery ("sexual transformation") and subsequently prove this medical intervention before a judge to secure the necessary court order, making the process highly restrictive and entirely dependent on judicial approval.
Until Dec 3, 1984
Illegal
Until 1984, there was no legal gender recognition provided in Nevada.
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Gender-affirming care in Nevada

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Gender-affirming care in Nevada is legal.

Current status
Legal
Minors under the age of 18 are able to get gender affirming care under insurance, like Medicaid and Medicare. Adults over the age of 18 are also able to get gender affirming care under insurance or not. Nevada Governor Lombardo passed SB163 requiring some insurances to cover gender affirming care. Medicaid and Medicare are required to cover gender affirming care under this bill

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Nevada

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Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Nevada is recognized.

Current status
Since Apr 22, 2019
Recognized
Nevada-born residents can request an X gender marker on their birth certificates. Residents can ask for an X on IDs and driver's licenses.
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Hate crime protections in Nevada

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Hate crime protections in Nevada is sexual orientation and gender identity.

Current status
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Nevada law protects individuals from hate crimes on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
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LGBT discrimination in Nevada

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LGBT discrimination in Nevada is illegal.

Current status
Illegal
People are protected from discrimination based upon both sexual orientation and gender identification.
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LGBT employment discrimination in Nevada

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LGBT employment discrimination in Nevada is sexual orientation and gender identity.

Current status
Since Oct 1, 2011
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Republican Governor Sandoval signed a bill to extend discrimination protections to transgender Nevadans in 2011. The bill was signed in May and went into effect in October of that year. Federally, varying protections exist as well.
Oct 1, 1999–Sep 30, 2011
Sexual orientation only
Nevada lawmakers in 1999 passed a landmark bill protecting LGB people from employment discrimination.
Until Sep 30, 1999
No protections
Before the 1999 bill, no discrimination protections for LGBT people existed at the state or federal level.

LGBT housing discrimination in Nevada

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LGBT housing discrimination in Nevada is sexual orientation and gender identity.

Current status
Sexual orientation and gender identity
This state explicitly bans housing discrimination based upon sexual orientation and gender identification.
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Same-sex adoption in Nevada

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Same-sex adoption in Nevada is legal.

Current status
Legal
Joint or single parent adoption is allowed for individuals or married or domestic partners per Nev. Revised Stat. §127.030.

Second-parent adoptions have also been allowed in lower courts.
Sources:
www.lambdalegal.org/states-region/nevada
Nev. Revised Stat. §127.030
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Intersex infant surgery in Nevada

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Intersex infant surgery in Nevada is not banned.

Current status
Not banned
In Nevada, in 2017 there was an attempt to ban intersex infant surgery on minors but the bill died in committee.

Serving openly in military in Nevada

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Serving openly in military in Nevada is lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned.

Current status
Since Jul 8, 2025
Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned under federal United States law

From July 8, 2025 onward, Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard of the United States, Army National Guard of the United States, United States Army Reserve, and United States Navy Reserve service members who were eligible for voluntary separation but did not elect or complete it, and who either have a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria and do not receive a waiver, or have a history of cross-sex hormone therapy or sex reassignment or genital reconstruction surgery in connection with a sex transition, are placed into the involuntary administrative separation process.

On the effective date of separation, service will be characterized as honorable in every case unless circumstances justify a different designation. Enlisted members will receive a Separation Program Designator (SPD) code of JFF (Secretarial Plenary Authority), under which the Secretary may direct separation when it is determined to be in the best interest of the service, while officers will receive an SPD code of JDK (Military Personnel Security Program), based on a determination that continued service is not clearly consistent with the interests of national security. The use of SPD code JDK is not intended, by itself, to trigger incident reporting or security clearance revocation, and gender dysphoria alone does not require reporting under Security Executive Agent Directive 3. All service members will receive a reentry code of RE-3, indicating they are not fully qualified for reentry or continued service without a waiver.
Jul 6, 2025–Jul 8, 2025
Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned under federal United States law
From July 6, 2025 onward, Coast Guard Reserve and Regular Coast Guard service members who were eligible for voluntary separation but did not elect or complete it, and who either have a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria and do not receive a waiver, or have a history of cross-sex hormone therapy or sex reassignment or genital reconstruction surgery in connection with a sex transition, are placed into the involuntary administrative separation process.
Jun 7, 2025–Jul 6, 2025
Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned under federal United States law
From June 7, 2025 onward, Active Guard Reserve, Marine Corps Active Reserve, Regular Air Force, Regular Army, Regular Marine Corps, and Regular Space Force service members who were eligible for voluntary separation but did not elect or complete it, and who either have a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria and do not receive a waiver, or have a history of cross-sex hormone therapy or sex reassignment or genital reconstruction surgery in connection with a sex transition, are placed into the involuntary administrative separation process.
May 8, 2025–Jun 7, 2025
Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned under federal United States law
On May 8, 2025, the United States Department of Defense (USDoD) began initiating administrative separation proceedings for service members who had already identified themselves for voluntary separation before March 26, 2025. On the same date, it reinstated the ban on transgender enlistment by directing that applicants who have a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria and do not receive a waiver, or who have a history of cross-sex hormone therapy or sex reassignment or genital reconstruction surgery in connection with a sex transition, are denied entry into military service.

On May 9, 2025, the USDoD ended all surgical procedures related to sex reassignment for service members with gender dysphoria. All such procedures—whether planned, scheduled, or not yet scheduled—were canceled, and any previously approved SHCP waivers for these surgeries were revoked. New waiver requests are no longer processed, except in cases involving the necessary treatment of surgical complications, which require special review.

Service members aged 19 or older who were already receiving cross-sex hormone therapy prior to this memorandum may continue treatment temporarily if a provider deems it necessary to prevent harm, but only until their separation is completed. Moving forward, USDoD funding cannot be used to initiate any new hormone therapy treatments for gender dysphoria, though military department leaders may request case-by-case exceptions for non-surgical care if needed to protect a service member’s health, subject to review and approval.

Also on May 9, 2025, the USDoD directed military educational institution libraries to use a standardized set of subject-heading searches to identify post-2010 books potentially associated with “gender ideology,” transgender-related topics, and other targeted concepts, sequester those materials from normal access by May 21, 2025, and hold them for expert review and possible later disposition.

On May 15, 2025, the United States Coast Guard resumed implementation of its transgender service policy by immediately pausing new accessions for individuals with a history of gender dysphoria and pausing planned, scheduled, or unscheduled medical procedures related to gender transition.

By May 21, 2025, the US Naval Academy had returned all but about 20 of the 381 books removed on March 31–April 1, 2025, to its shelves, while US Air Force libraries, including the US Air Force Academy, had also pulled a few dozen books for review.

On June 5, 2025, the U.S. Coast Guard formally made members and applicants with gender dysphoria who did not receive a waiver ineligible for service and subject to separation or disqualification, while allowing temporary continuation of some preexisting hormone therapy until separation.

On June 6, 2025, US Coast Guard restored the Civil Rights Awards Program after completing a review and updating the Civil Rights Manual.
Mar 18, 2025–May 7, 2025
Legal under federal United States law
On the evening of March 18th, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes blocked the implementation of Trump's executive order banning transgender people from the military. The judge said that not only was the order unconstitutional but “a solution in search of a problem.”.
Feb 7, 2025–Mar 17, 2025
Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned under federal United States law
On January 27th, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order that bans transgender people from serving in the military.
On February 10th, 2025, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth filed in court a memo relating to President Trump’s executive order from the previous month.

From then until March 18th, 2025, The U.S. military prohibited transgender individuals from enlisting and ceased providing or supporting gender transition procedures for service members.
Apr 30, 2021–Feb 6, 2025
Legal under federal United States law
In 2021, former President Joe Biden removed then-former President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender people serving in the military.
Apr 11, 2019–Apr 29, 2021
Lesbians, gays, bisexuals permitted, transgender people banned under federal United States law
The Trump administration enacted a new policy barring individuals with a "condition" known as "gender dysphoria." from serving in the military.
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Sep 20, 2011–Apr 11, 2019
Legal under federal United States law
In 2011, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was repealed by the Obama Administration. Former President Obama allowed members who were dishonorably discharged under DADT, to receive an honorable discharge.
Feb 28, 1994–Sep 19, 2011
Don't Ask, Don't Tell under federal United States law
Don't Ask, Don't Tell was the historic compromise signed by President Bill Clinton authorizing people who are LGBT to serve in the military provided they didn't disclose sexuality. The law also removed the ability for others in the military from asking for a service member's orientation.
Sources:
www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-…
catalog.archives.gov/id/122244870 *official document for DADT signed by Former President Clinton*
gao.gov/assets/nsiad-92-98.pdf *study from 1992 to 1998*
www.history.com/news/dont-a…
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May 19, 1941–Feb 27, 1994
Illegal under federal United States law
From May 19, 1941 until September 20, 2011, LGB people were banned from enlistment and service in the United States Army, US Coast Guard, US Marine Corps, and US Navy, and, beginning September 18, 1947, in the Air Force. From October 1, 1982, to September 19, 2011, when homosexuality was the sole basis for separation and no aggravating circumstances were present, the characterization of service was determined by the member’s overall record and could be Honorable or General (under honorable conditions), with entry-level cases receiving an uncharacterized separation.

By May 17, 1963, in the United States Army; by 1982, in the United States Air Force; from March 31, 1986, on a U.S. Department of Defense-wide accession basis covering the United States Army, United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and, by agreement, the United States Coast Guard; by August 12, 2005, in the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps; and by April 29, 2011, in the United States Coast Guard, transgender people were banned from enlistment and service until open service was authorized on June 30, 2016.

By February 22, 1956, in the United States Coast Guard; by February 10, 1961, in the United States Army; by January 11, 1962, in an Air Force-specific accession standard; from March 31, 1986, on a Department of Defense-wide accession basis covering the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and, by agreement, the Coast Guard; and, from December 20, 2019, in the United States Space Force through inherited Air Force and DoD standards, applicants with intersex-related conditions identified in military rules as “hermaphroditism,” and later as “hermaphroditism, pseudohermaphroditism, or pure gonadal dysgenesis,” were disqualified from accession under military medical standards.

Blood donations by MSMs in Nevada

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Blood donations by MSMs in Nevada is legal.

Current status
Since May 11, 2023
Legal under federal United States law
The new FDA policy on blood donation eliminates deferrals and screening questions specific to men who have sex with men (MSM). Prospective donors will be asked the same set of questions regardless of their sex or sexual orientation.
Apr 2, 2020–May 10, 2023
Banned (less than 6-month deferral) under federal United States law
The FDA announced changes to the blood donor eligibility policy in April 2020, reducing the MSM deferral period from 12 months to 3 months. The change came amid the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, where blood was needed urgently.
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Dec 21, 2015–Apr 1, 2020
Banned (1-year deferral) under federal United States law
After a series of recommendations, the FDA has moved to a 12 months deferral.
1983–Dec 20, 2015
Banned (indefinite deferral) under federal United States law
Starting in 1983, the United States implemented a full ban on blood donations from gay men. The primary justification for the ban was the perceived high risk of HIV transmission, with health regulators identifying men who have sex with men (MSM) as a significant risk to the safety of the blood supply.
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Conversion therapy in Nevada

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Conversion therapy in Nevada is banned.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 2018
Banned
Conversion Therapy aimed to change someone's sexual orientation or gender identity done by medical practitioners is illegal.

The law however has a religious exemption.

The bill however has a religious exemption.
Until Jan 1, 2018
Not banned
Conversion Therapy is currently legal. No law currently bans it, despite organizations such as the American Psychological Association denouncing it.
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Equal age of consent in Nevada

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Equal age of consent in Nevada is equal.

Current status
Since May 29, 2013
Equal
Pursuant to NRS 201.195, the law prohibiting sexual contact with minors 16+ has been repealed. NRS 201.195.2 previously disallowed homosexual persons under the age of 18 from having sexual contact, but allowed heterosexual couples aged 16+ to attain such acts. In May 29, 2013, that subsection was repealed, and the law applied equally to both Homosexual and Heterosexual persons aged 16+
Sources:
Current Law: www.leg.state.nv.us/nrs/nrs…

Law showing Repeal: www.leg.state.nv.us/Statute…
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Jun 16, 1993–May 28, 2013
Unequal
In 1993, homosexuality was legalized in Nevada but was given a higher age of consent than heterosexuality until 2013.
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